A facile synthesis of Ag3PO4/BiPO4 p-n heterostructured composite as a highly efficient photocatalyst for fluoroquinolones degradation

Abstract

Ag₃PO₄/BiPO₄ heterojunction photocatalysts with an intergrowth structure composed of sphere-shaped Ag₃PO₄ and nanorod BiPO₄ were synthesized via a facile combination of solvothermal method and in-situ deposition process. They exhibit enhanced photocatalytic activities under sunlight irradiation, and the heterojunction composite with the 10 wt% loading amounts of Ag₃PO₄ presented the highest photocatalytic activities against norfloxacin (NFX), ofloxacin (OFXL) and ciprofloxacin (CIP), with high degradation efficiencies of 94.7%, 95.4% and 92.1%, respectively. Additionally, the Ag₃PO₄/BiPO₄ photocatalyst demonstrates outstanding structural and photocatalytic stability. The superior performance was attributed to the effective charge transfer across the p-n heterojunction interface and the enhancement of light absorption. This work provides a new insight into the development of novel BiPO₄-based heterojunction composites and meets the remediation for contaminated aqueous environment.

Keywords: Ag(3)PO(4)/BiPO(4); Possible degradation mechanism; Theoretical calculations; p-n heterojunction.